


A Frozen Heart

by Stellalunadollymama



Series: The other fish in the sea [2]
Category: Club Penguin
Genre: Abuse, Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Angst with a Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Imprisonment, Minor Violence, Mystery, Non-Graphic Violence, Non-Sexual Slavery, Rejection
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-06-27 00:48:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15674661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stellalunadollymama/pseuds/Stellalunadollymama
Summary: After a visit with The Merpenguin Elder, Aqua learns about all the mistakes she made in a past life. With the help of Adella, Gary, and Sensei, Aqua must venture off into the mountainside to right the wrongs of the past before the consequences of her past self's actions begin to snowball into a huge avalanche.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> At long last! I've finally got the energy to work on this sequel! Now unlike A Dream Come True, this work isn't pre-written. This means that this work might take longer to update since I'm uploading as I go along. Thank you for your patience.

_Aqua found herself immersed in a small pool of ice cold water.All she could see were blue icicles, that shimmered like chandeliers, and white snow that blanketed the shoreline.Aqua shivered as the icy waters nipped at her feathery skin. Despite being part penguin, Aqua felt as if she was slowly becoming an ice block. Suddenly the room grew even colder._

**_FWOOSH!_ **  
****

_A puff of mist rose up from the shore, causing Aqua to cough and fan her flippers._

_“You have been gone for far too long.” A deep voice rumbled from the mist._

_A foggy face appeared in the mist. The face glared at Aqua as if she were a child who was out past curfew._

_“It’s time for you return to where you belong.” The voice commanded,_

**_"It’s time for you to return to me!”_ **  
****

**EEK! EEK! EEK!**

 Aqua was awoken by the screeching of her dolphin themed alarm clock.

“Gah!” Aqua squeaked as she fell out of bed.

Her white puffle plushie fell square on her head as she struggled to get up.

Aqua gently removed the plushie as placed it onto her bed. She then silenced her alarm and swam to her closet.

“I can’t believe I had that dream again! This is like what? The tenth week in a row now?” Aqua grumbled to herself as she rummaged through her closet.

“Morning, sis!” Adella chirped, waking Aqua from her thoughts.

“Ack!” Aqua shrieked as she nearly dropped her dress.

Aqua whipped around and let out a sigh of relief when she realized it was just Adella.

“Don’t sneak up on me like that!” Aqua snapped as she clutched her dress.

“Sorry, sis.” Adella apologized as she rubbed the back of her head.

“It’s fine.” Aqua sighed as she finished getting dressed.

Aqua emerged from her closet wearing an icy blue dress with off white sheer sleeves.Her usual purple crystal headband had been replaced with two matching white crystal barrettes.

“Ooh! Looking good! What are you all dressed up for? Are you gonna visit that Gary guy again?” Adella teased.

“No! Great Barrier Reef, Adella! Gary is still pretty much my boss! I wouldn’t get _this_ dressed up to see him.” Aqua chided defensively as she folded her flippers across her chest.

“Right. Forgot about the whole EPF thing.” Adella giggled.

“I’m dressed up to see The Merpenguin Elder. Today’s the day we can finally visit her!” Aqua squealed as she flapped her flippers.

“Oh crabs! I thought that was Tuesday! I’ll get ready too!”Adella yelped as she rushed to her own closet.

The Merpenguin Elder was the oldest living merpenguin. Due to how long she lived, The Merpenguin Elder had vast knowledge of many _many_ things. The Merpenguin Elder lived alone in a small house at the edge of the reef.She enjoyed solitude, so visitors were usually forbidden. However the reef had always been eager to see if she was still alive. So one day a year The Merpenguin Elder allowed a select few to visit her and ask her questions. 

The Merpenguin elder would draw names from a small bowl and whoever’s names she pulled got to visit her.

Aqua and Adella were two of the lucky names The Merpenguin Elder had selected.Aqua couldn’t have been more ecstatic.Aqua had always wanted to meet The Merpenguin Elder ever since she was young. She was so excited she could never decide what she would ask The Merpenguin Elder first. 

_Until today_


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! Buckle up, friends because this chapter's a long one!

After Aqua and Adella finished getting ready, the headed out to visit The Merpenguin Elder.

They hailed an underwater taxi and were whisked away to The Merpenguin Elder’s house.

Once there, Aqua and Adella gingerly knocked on the door.

The door opened with a soft creak.

“Adella! Aqua! Come in! Come in! I’ve been expecting you two!” The Merpenguin Elder beckoned cheerfully.

Aqua could barely contain her excitement as she and Adella swam through the door.

“Please make yourselves at home!” The Merpenguin Elder grinned as she gestured to a large couch.

Aqua and Adella sat down in front of The Merpenguin Elder.

“Please pardon the dust. It’s been so long since I’ve had visitors” The Merpenguin Elder joked.

Aqua laughed and flapped her flippers a little.

“Alright calm down, sis.” Adella giggled as Aqua slowly stopped flapping.

“Oh don’t scold her for being excited! I would be excited too if I was in her place.” The Merpenguin Elder assured.

“Sorry about that.” Adella apologized sheepishly.

“No harm done! I can tell your sister is full of positive energy! Which is something that must never be chased away.” The Merpenguin Elder cheered.

Aqua’s face was bright red as she let out a few squeaky giggles.

“Now what are your questions for me?” The Merpenguin Elder inquired.

“How about you go first, sis?” Adella urged.

Aqua took a deep breath as her giggling came to a stop.

“Can you interpret dreams?” Aqua asked sheepishly as she looked down at her tail.

“Why yes. Yes I can. Do you have a Dream for me? Or were you just curious?” The Merpenguin Elder mused.

“I do have a dream for you, Merpenguin Elder. Well lots of dreams but they’re all the same.” Aqua admitted as she fidgeted with her seashell locket.

“Well what are you waiting for? Out with it!” The Merpenguin Elder coaxed playfully.

“Ok! So lately I’ve been having these weird dreams about being in an icy cave and this really creepy face with a deep and scary voice keeps telling me to ‘return to where I belong’ and ‘it’s time you return to me’” Aqua explained as she tried to mimic the voice from her dreams.

The Merpenguin Elder’s eyes widened in horror as Aqua described her dreams.

“What did this face look like?” The Merpenguin Elder pressed urgently.

“Well all I can remember is it looked like it was wearing a mask or something and had a broken tusk. I-is that a bad thing? You sound worried.” Aqua whimpered.

The Merpenguin Elder gave Aqua a mournful look and let out a sigh.

“I’m afraid it’s _more_ than just a bad thing.” The Merpenguin Elder’s voice was cold as she got up from her chair.

“W-what do you mean? You’re scaring me!” Aqua squeaked as she begun to panic.

“I had always feared this day would come.” The Merpenguin Elder swam to her bookshelf and pulled out a large white book.

The Merpenguin Elder flipped through the pages and gently placed the book in front of Aqua and Adella.

The book showed an old drawing of a merpenguin who looked just like Aqua! The only difference was the merpenguin in the drawingwas dressed from head to tail in jewels and a large tiara rested on her head.

Aqua and Adella‘s eyes lit up in shock.

“Is that- Is that _me?!_ ” Aqua gawked as her eyes remained glued to the drawing.

“That _was_ you” The Merpenguin Elder corrected with a shake of her head.

“What?! What do you mean that was me?!” Aqua gasped.

“I mean she was you in a _past life_!” The Merpenguin Elder clarified as she gestured to the book.

“What are you going on about?!” Adella demanded.

“Legends say, that once we die our souls are reborn and given new bodies. Our faces may change but our souls remain the same. Sometimes the universe allows you to cross paths with someone you once knew from the past. Most of the time they won’t remember you but other times...well..... Let’s just say it gets interesting to say the least.” The Merpenguin Elder explained dramatically.

“It would take weeks to explain _everything_ about reincarnation but I will tell you this: learn from your mistakes in _this_ life. Otherwise you’ll pay for them in the future.”The Merpenguin Elder warned.

“ _Oh. Ok._ ” Both Aqua and Adella tried to act like they understood but they were still just as confused as ever.

“This is Princess Crystal. Long ago she and her family ruled the reef. They were beloved by both Merpenguins and land dwellers alike.” The Merpenguin Elder explained as she flipped the page.

“You mean land _penguins_ right?” Adella corrected gently.

The Merpenguin Elder simply chuckled.

“Land Penguins aren’t the only ones who live on the surface and they most certainly aren’t as dangerous as most merpenguins would have you believe.” The Merpenguin Elder chided.

“Heh. I’ve actually been meaning to ask you about that.” Adella admitted with a chuckle.

“Well you’re in luck. This story will answer both of your questions but I can’t tell it if someone else interrupts.” The Merpenguin Elder huffed.

“We’ll be quiet now!” Both Aqua and Adella chirped in unison.

“Now where was I? Ah! Yes! Long ago, Princess Crystal and her family ruled the reef. They were beloved by both Merpenguins and land dwellers alike. Now back then, Merpenguins were not afraid to explore land. With the help of The Land Explorer’s Shell, Merpenguins and land dwellers lived in harmony. However all of that changed when Princess Crystal visited land for the first time. Princess Crystal was as naive as she was beautiful. She had no sense of direction and always seemed lost in her own little world.She was also way too trusting. She wasn’t afraid to tell the land dwellers all about Merpenguins. Princess Crystal never saw the harm in doing so. After all, the land dwellers seemed very kind. She didn’t see any reason to keep her identity a secret.” The Merpenguin Elder chuckled as she turned another page.

“As the days passed, Princess Crystal seemed to spend more and more time visiting the surface. Every morning, Princess Crystal would swim to the surface and would not return until midnight. Upon each return, the princess begun to appear more and more drained. Her eyes lacked the light they once had and she could barely muster a smile. 

Whenever the King and Queen asked Princess Crystal about her visits to the surface she would lie. She always told them that she was fine and was simply keeping peace between land dwellers and merpenguins.

The King and Queen seemed to accept that answer, until a year had gone by. 

Princess Crystal had spent so much time on land that she begun to neglect her princess duties. The King and Queen needed her and so did her kingdom. 

The King and Queen had quite enough and confronted their daughter. Princess Crystal broke down and finally told her parents the truth.As it turned out, Princess Crystal wasn’t keeping peace between land dwellers and Merpenguins but had actually became a servant to a land dweller by the name of Tusk.”The Merpenguin Elder read dramatically as she turned to the next page.

_"Tusk?! Great Barrier Reef! I’ve heard that name before! He’s one of the EPF’s most wanted villains!”_ Aqua’s mind cried out as she continued to listen to the story.

“A year prior, Princess Crystal had fallen through a hole within a mountain on one of her visits to the surface . She had been rescued by Tusk and couldn’t have been more grateful. She happily revealed herself as a Merpenguin and offered him a wish.Tusk was all too eager to accept her offer. He had wished for her to be his servant for eternity and to grant him as many wishes as he pleased.The merpenguin code forced her to grant his ridiculous wish. Princess Crystal had no choice but to serve Tusk’s every whim and desire. The only time she could return home was when he fell asleep. The King and Queen were mortified to say the least. For the safety of their daughter, the King and Queen forced her to stay in the palace until they could find a way to undo the wish.” The Merpenguin Elder sighed as she turned to the next page.

“Princess Crystal tried to stay in the palace but the Merpenguin code refused to let her forget her wish. Her days were filled with whispers urging her to return to Tusk and her nights were plagued with nightmares. Her nightmares were not much different than the ones you’ve been having lately, Aqua.”The Merpenguin Elder explained as she gave Aqua a sympathetic look.

Aqua let out a gasp as she begun to panic more.

“Eventually Princess Crystal couldn’t take it any longer! She wanted to undo the wish herself! She ventured to the surface to confront Tusk and demand her freedom! Little did she know, that was her biggest mistake! For Princess Crystal did not return home again. The King and Queen assumed the worst and were devastated. They were so heartbroken that they forbade any other merpenguin from visiting the surface again.All who lived in the kingdom were forced to destroy their Land Explorer’s Shells as well as anything else they’ve found on the surface.With heavy hearts, everyone obeyed. Now we pass on Princess Crystal’s story as a cautionary tale to anyone who wishes to visit the surface.” The Merpenguin Elder sighed as she gently closed the book.

“Wait! What was stopping the King and Queen from undoing the wish themselves?” Adella inquired with a raised flipper.

“The Merpenguin code does not allow other merpenguins to undo land dweller’s wishes.” The Merpenguin Elder explained sadly.

“Oh crabs!” Aqua squeaked as she fidgeted with her necklace.

“Oh crabs, indeed.” The Merpenguin Elder agreed as gave Aqua a mournful look.

“Please tell me I’m not really gonna be Tusk’s servant forever!” Aqua pleaded as tears began to form in her eyes.

“You won’t have to serve him as long as you stay away from him, Aqua.” The Merpenguin Elder advised.

“How can I do that?! What if he tries to find me?! What if the nightmares get worse?! I don’t want to be his slave!” Aqua wailed loudly as her tears cascaded down her cheeks like small water falls.

Adella pulled Aqua into a gentle hug. She rubbed small circles on her back as she waited for Aqua to finish crying.

“Aqua, there is still hope for you.” The Merpenguin Elder assured as she watched the display.

“How?! How can there still be hope?!” Aqua whimpered as Adella gently pulled away from the hug.

“Tusk can not find you if he doesn’t know you still exist. As long as you stay away from the surface, you will be safe. Be sure to remindyourself of this whenever the nightmares persist. I rarely allow other merpenguins to visit me more than once per year but in your case I might be able to make an exception.” The Merpenguin Elder explained.

“Wait really?! You’re gonna let us visit more than once?” Adella gasped in shock.

“Only if it’s an emergency. I’m an old Merpenguin. I don’t have the energy for too much chatter.” The Merpenguin Elder clarified as she held up a flipper.

“Oh! Well thank you! We could sure use the extra help!” Adella chirped.

“Of course I’ll help you!If Tusk finds your sister it could endanger us all! This is just as much my problem as it is yours!” The Merpenguin Elder affirmed as she gestured to herself.

“Thank you Merpenguin Elder.” Aqua blubbered as she wiped away her tears.

“You’re welcome. Don’t shed anymore tears over this, Aqua. Everything will be fine as long as you avoid the surface.” The Merpenguin Elder reassured as she patted Aqua’s head.

“Y-yes, ma’am.” Aqua sniffled.

“Now is there anything else you’d like to ask me about?” The Merpenguin Elder inquired.

“No ma’am I believe we’ve got all the answers we need.” Adella replied gently.

“Very good. It’s best you get your sister home now. I have a feeling she might need some time to herself.” The Merpenguin Elder advised.

“Will do. C’mon, Aqua. Let’s get you home. Thanks again!” Adella chirped as she got up and swam to the door.

“Thank you, Merpenguin Elder!” Aqua tried to force a smile as she followed her sister.

“You’re welcome! Remember: Stay away from the surface and come to me if there’s an emergency!” The Merpenguin Elder called out as she watched Aqua and Adella leave.


	3. Chapter 3

The moment Aqua and Adella got home, Aqua rushed into her room and plopped onto her bed.She grabbed both her pink and white puffle plushies and clung to them for dear life. 

_“Tusk can not find you if he doesn’t know you still exist. As long as you stay away from the surface, you will be safe.”_ The Merpenguin Elder’s words echoed in Aqua’s mind.

She couldn’t stay away from the surface! She had a job to do and _real_ puffles to care for! She had to find a way to fix this. Aqua played with the faux fur on her white puffle plushie as her mind struggled to come up with an idea.Suddenly, her mind finally found one.Other merpenguins may not be able to undo Tusk’s wish but maybe another _land dweller_ can undo it. 

Aqua sat up as her mind begun to search for a trustworthy land dweller to help her out.

 _“How about that Gary guy?”_ A small voice in her mind offered.

“Maybe...I’m just not sure he’ll believe the whole past life story thing.” Aqua replied hesitantly

It was then, Aqua remembered:

_Tusk was one of the EPF’s most wanted villains._

Even if Gary doesn’t take the Merpenguin Elder’s past life story seriously, Gary will definitely take _Tusk_ seriously. 

“Alright. I’ll talk to Gary.” Aqua told the small voice.

 _“Yay!!!”_ The small voice cheered.

Aqua gently put her puffle plushies down and jumped off her bed. She fixed her hair and smoothed out her dress. She was about to swim to the front door, only to be stopped by Adella.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Adella demanded as she put her flippers on her hips.

“I’m going to talk to Gary-” Aqua began but was cut off by Adella.

“Listen, sis. I know you like the surface and your job but you heard the Merpenguin Elder. You have to stay away from the surface. Otherwise you’ll be that Tusk guy’s slave forever!” Adella reminded as she put her flippers on her hips.

“That’s why I’m going to see Gary, Adella! Tusk is one of the EPF’s most wanted villains! If any land dweller would know how to deal with Tusk, it’s Gary!” Aqua explained.

“What do you think he’s gonna do, exactly? Arrest Tusk? You’ll just be serving Tusk in jail at best!” Adella snapped as she put her flippers in the air.

“Well I was actually going to ask him to undo Tusk’s wish but I wouldn’t mind arresting him too while I’m at it.” Aqua explained with a giggle.

“Aqua, this isn’t funny! You could be put in danger! Heck everyone could be put in danger! I know you want to fix this and I want to fix this too-” Adella began.

“Then let’s fix this together! You know what?! I have an idea! Since _I_ can’t talk to Gary, how about _you_ go talk to him?!” Aqua interjected as she pointed her flipper at her sister’s face.

Adella held up her flipper and opened her beak to speak. Suddenly was cut off by a sudden realization:

_Why couldn’t she go talk to Gary in Aqua’s place?_

Gary was trustworthy enough, right? As much as she didn’t want to endanger Aqua, Adella wanted to help her too.

“You know what? You’re actually kinda right... I’ll go talk to Gary for you.” Adella sighed as her flipper dropped to her side.

“Wait really?! Do you really mean that?!” Aqua’s eyes lit up.

“Yes. I really mean it. If that Gary guy really does have info on Tusk, then I’ll have a talk with him.” Adella admitted as she rubbed the back of her head.

“Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!! You’re the best sister in the whole ocean!” Aqua squeaked as she pulled Adella into a tight hug.

“You’re welcome, sis and I know.” Adella chuckled as she returned the hug.

“I love you so much!” Aqua cheered as she lifted Adella into the air.

“Ack! I love you too! Now put me down!” Adella laughed.

“Sorry! I got excited.” Aqua apologized as she gently put Adella down.

“It’s all good. Just promise me one thing: Don’t go back to the surface until we take care of this Tusk fiasco.” Adella commanded.

“I promise!” Aqua chirped as she put her flipper on her chest.

“Now give me your locket.” Adella ordered as she held out her flipper.

“What?! You have your own locket!Why do you need mine?!” Aqua yelped as she clutched her locket.

“Because I want to make sure you’re not going to to sneak off to the surface while I’m gone.” Adella explained as she opened and closed her flipper.

“Oh- Oh alright. Here you go!” Aqua pouted as she took off her locket and handed it to Adella.

“Thank you! Alright, I’ll be back soon. Bye!” Adella chirped as she put on Aqua’s locket.

“Bye! Tell Gary I said hello!” Aqua called as she watched Adella swim out the door.

As if on queue, the faint sound of Gary’s music player 3000 beckoned Adella.

“Huh. So that’s the music he played to get her to come see him. Talk about great timing!” Adella chirped as she followed the sweet melody.


	4. Chapter 4

Meanwhile, Gary waited patiently in the Hidden Lake for Aqua to show up. He had finally found some spare time to spend with Aqua! He couldn’t wait to tell her all about his latest invention! 

Suddenly, the wooden gate opened with a creak. Gary peered into the lake expecting to see Aqua. However he was very surprised to see Adella come through the gate.

“You’re Gary right?” Adella inquired as she poked her head out of the water.

“Why yes. Yes I am! How did you know my name?” Gary begun to wonder if Aqua told her friends about him. It certainly was an interesting surprise to see another merpenguin.

“I’m Aqua’s sister, Adella. She’s told me lots of things about you. Don’t worry they’re all nice things.” Adella assured with a smile.

“Oh! You’re Adella! Aqua has told me all about you as well! It’s a pleasure to finally meet you!” Gary chirped as he adjusted his glasses.

“I wish we were meeting under better circumstances... Listen, Aqua is in danger and we were hoping you could help us out.” Adella explained urgently

The moment Adella said that Aqua was in danger, Gary felt his heart skip a beat. He wanted to scream but his body settled for a terrified yelp instead.

“Gadzooks! What happened?! Has she been kidnapped?!” Gary panicked as he grabbed Adella by her wet shoulders and shook her.

“Bite your tongue! She hasn’t been kidnapped but she will be enslaved if we don’t help her!” Adella growled as she peeled Gary’s flippers off of her.

“What?! Who’s trying to enslave her?! Is his name Herbert by chance?! I’m sorry to be blunt but I’m just as worried as you are!” Gary wailed as he begun to jump up and down rapidly.

“ _Who?_ Ok off, calm down nothing has happened yet. Second, the guy who wants to enslave her is named Tusk.” Adella explained as she held her flippers up in defense.

“Don’t you dare tell me to calm down! Tusk is just as dangerous as Herbert! We need to apprehend him immediately! Please tell me Aqua is hidden somewhere safe!” Gary cried out as tears began to form in his eyes.

“Aqua is safe and sound. The only way Tusk could get to her is if she got on land and somehow ran into him. Which I know she’s smart enough not to do. Unless a land dweller is drowning or something but even in that case she’ll just pull them back onto dry land then leave the moment they open their eyes. She’ll be fine for now. Let’s just focus on taking care of Tusk, ok?” Adella assured as gently as she could.

Gary took a deep breath as he finally started to calm down.

“I suppose you’re right. We need to find a way to keep Tusk away from Aqua. Let’s commence brainstorming!”Gary announced dramatically as he put a flipper in the air.

“Well first, we need as much info on Tusk as possible. That way we’ll know his weaknesses and take him down.” Adella mused.

“Well I do believe I have some information on Tusk but I’m not sure if it’ll be sufficient. The only other penguin that has information on Tusk is....Sensei.” Gary’s voice fell when he mentioned Sensei.

“I don’t like the way you said that. Is this Sensei guy bad or something?” Adella groaned.

“No! Not at all! It’s just...well...He and I don’t really see eye to eye when it comes to dealing with emergencies.” Gary explained as he rubbed the back of his head.

“Well we might have to cooperate with him if we’re gonna take down Tusk.” Adella reminded.

“I know! I know! It’s just that Sensei is so cryptic! He always speaks in riddles and metaphors! It’s very frustrating when time is of the essence! Not to mention his ways of handling emergencies actually amplify risks! Aqua could be put in more danger!” Gary ranted.

“Well do we have any other options?” Adella huffed as she folded her flippers.

“I-I don’t think we do. Looks like I need to swallow my pride and ask for his assistance.” Gary sighed as he looked down at his feet.

“Don’t worry! I’ll go with you!” Adella reassured.

“Really? Are you sure?” Gary inquired. He wasn’t sure if Adella could even leave the water let alone get help him ask for Sensei’s help.

“Of course I’m sure! Aqua is my sister! I came here to help! I can even get on land! Just give me a second!” Adella snapped as she swam up to the shoreline of the Hidden Lake.

Before Gary could respond, Adella latched onto the Hidden Lake’s shoreline and slowly begun to push herself out of the water.After a few moments of heaving and struggling, Adella finally managed to make it ashore. 

**FSSH!**   
****

Adella’s tail has morphed into feet!

Gary’s beak hit the ground as he watched Adella wobble to her newly formed feet.

“Gadzooks! You have _feet_ now?! How is that possible?!” Gary gasped.

“Yup! It’s an old Merpenguin trick!” Adella marveled as she regained her balance.

“You _must_ tell me more about it! I want all of the details!” Gary demanded, his voice overflowing with excitement.

“Sorry, Gary! This trick’s a secret that land dwellers aren’t allowed to know.” Adella giggled.

“Oh, how disappointing. Can you at least tell me ifall merpenguins know of this secret?” Gary practically begged. He had to know if Aqua could go on land too!

“Like I said, land dwellers aren’t supposed to know about this. I could get in huge trouble if another Merpenguin saw me revealing myself to you, let alone telling you all of our secrets!” Adella chided as she folded her flippers across her chest.

“Oh dear! My apologies! I’ll keep my questions to a minimum.” Gary assured.

“No worries! I’d be curious too if I were you. If anyone should apologize, it’s _Tusk._ That jerk is the reason we merpenguins have to keep secrets from the other land dwellers in the first place!” Adella huffed as she put her flippers on her hips.

“What?!You’re honestly telling me that _Tusk_ is responsible for all of these secrets?!” Gary growled.

“ ‘Fraid so. That jerk ruined everything! Now we can’t even mention land dwellers without getting scolded!” Adella griped.

Gary felt his blood boil! That dastardly Tusk was preventing so many wonderful scientific discoveries! To make things worse, Tusk was the reason he and Aqua couldn’t spend more time together!As much as Gary didn’t want to deal with Sensei’s cryptic ninja nonsense, Gary knew that Sensei was the only one who knew enough about Tusk to put an end to his treachery!

“Well we have no time to waste! Come with me! I know where we can find Sensei!” Gary announced dramatically as he grabbed Adella by the arm.


	5. Chapter 5

While Adella and Gary searched for Sensei, Aqua’s mind was slowly being overrun by sinister whispers:

_“Return to Tusk._

_Have you forgotten your wish?_

_You can’t hide forever._

_He helped you, remember?_

_Accept your fate._

**_Finish what you’ve started!_ ** _”_

Aqua let out a scream and clamped her flippers around her head.

“Get out of my head! Leave my brain alone!” Aqua screeched as tears streamed down her face.

Aqua’s grip tightened as hunched over her bed. A shiver ran down her spine as the whispers grew more angry:

**_“You brought this upon yourself!_ **

**_You shouldn’t have climbed that mountain!_ **   
****

**_You made the mistake!_ **   
****

**_Now pay the price!”_ **   
****

“Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!” Aqua shrieked as she begun to hang her head against the wall.

 _“Don’t listen to those whispers!!”_ The small voice from earlier commanded.

“No more voices! No more voices!” Aqua wailed as she dropped to the ground and curled up into a ball.

 _“Calm down please! I just want to help you!”_ The small voice pleaded.

“No more! No more!” was all Aqua could say as she sobbed loudly.

 _“I know you’re scared but please listen to me._ _I’m not going to force you to return to Tusk!”_ The small voice assured.

“R-really? You’re not gonna force me to be Tusk’s slave?” Aqua whimpered.

 _“Of course not! I don’t want you to be Tusk’s slave either!”_ The small voice huffed.

“Really? Wait... Are you like my conscience or something?” Aqua asked as she sat up.

 _“Not exactly...Let’s just say I’m a friend. You can call me Yuki!”_ Yuki explained.

“Ok then... It’s nice to meet you, Yuki. I’m Aqua.” Aqua replied skeptically.

“ _It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Aqua. Well technically I live in your mind so I already knew your name.”_ Yuki giggled.

“Ok seriously, what are you? I’m grateful you’re a friend in all but are you like a spirit or just another voice in my head?” Aqua demanded.

 _“Well I guess you could say I’m a voice in your head. I can help you silence the whispers but only if you let me.”_ Yuki pressed gently.

“Really? You can make them stop?” Aqua grumbled sarcastically.

 _“Well...kind of...”_ Yuki replied sheepishly.

“What do you mean ‘kind of’?” Aqua huffed as she folded her flippers.

 _“Well, I can’t really make the whispers stop per-say but I can help distract you from them.”_ Yuki offered.

“Oh. Well, what do have in mind, exactly?” Aqua inquired as she slowly got up.

Yuki hummed for a moment.

 _“I think I’ve got an idea!”_ Yuki declared.


	6. Chapter 6

Meanwhile, high on top of the Water Dojo,Scrap, Sly, and Tank were practicing Card-Jitsu Snow. Tusk had ordered his three snowminions to improve their skills for his next plan for revenge. Scrap, Sly, and Tank couldn’t have been more happy to oblige.They had spent countless weeks sparring and practicing _._

“Remind me again, why are we practicing on top of a waterfall? What was wrong with our usual training grounds?” Sly whined as he polished his bowling ball.

“We gotta be ready for anything those pesky penguins throw at us! We can’t keep training in the same place! We need to challenge ourselves if we’re gonna get our revenge!” Scrap snarled as he took his position.

“This better not be like your last training session near that active volcano. We could’ve melted away!” Sly moaned as he continued to polish his bowling ball.

“Why do you still have to keep bringing that up?! I already said I was sorry! Now put your ball down so we can practice!” Scrap ordered as he put his hands on his hips.

“I don’t want yah forgetting. If yah forget your mistakes yah might repeat em’!” Sly chided as he gingerly put down his bowling ball.

“Ugh. Whatever. Tank! You ready or what?!” Scrap growled.

Tank let out an annoyed grunt as he took his position.

“Ready? Begin!” Scrap commanded as he pointed his finger into the air.

Without hesitation, Sly prepared a snow bowling ball and hurled it directly at Scrap! Scrap zipped out of the snow bowling ball’s way, causing it to fall of the edge of the water fall.

“Hah! Is that the best you’ve got?!” Scrap taunted as he charged up his attack.

Before Scrap could launch his attack, Tank lunged right towards him.

**THWACK!**

Tank slammed right into Scrap! The impact sent the poor snowminion flying across the snowy ground!  
 ****

“Scrap!” Sly cried out as he chased after him.

It didn’t take long for Scrap’s mind to start processing what was happening.

He let out a loud scream as his body flew off the edge of the waterfall!

“Uh oh.” Was all Tank could say as he watched Scrap plummet.

Scrap continued to fall and scream until-

**SPLOOSH!**

Scrap had plunged into the river below the waterfall.

The poor snowminion splashed and flailed about as he struggled to stay afloat. The river washed away Scrap’s mask and black belt as he continued to fight against the current. Unfortunately, the water soon overpowered Scrap and slowly submerged him into the sea.

Meanwhile, Aqua playfully posed in front of her mirror. Yuki had convinced Aqua to rummage through her closet to help distract her mind from the relentless whispers. Aqua soon found herself experimenting with her clothes, hair, skin color and even tail color.

“Thanks for convincing me to finally try out my Arctic White skin color, Yuki! It looks fintastic with my new purple tail color!” Aqua giggled as she continued posing.

 _“You’re welcome! I’m surprised you haven’t tried it out until now.”_ Yuki mused.

“Well I kinda wanted to save this skin color for like the Holidays since it makes me think of snow but I might just wear it all year round.” Aqua chirped as she flashed the mirror a big smile.

 _“You really should! It looks absolutely splashing!”_ Yuki encouraged.

“Oooh! I have the perfect outfit to match this!” Aqua sang as she rummaged through her closet.

A few moments later, Aqua emerged wearing a sparkly lavender kimono and a matching wig.

“So? What do you think?” Aqua giggled as she inspected herself in the mirror. 

The kimono’s lavender outer layer had long sheer sleeves that shimmered like freshly fallen snowflakes. The shimmering lavender outer layer gently cradled a snow white inner gown that brushed the ground. The matching wig was decorated with a bejeweled headband that dangled from the sides of her head. Aqua twirled in front of the mirror. The kimono fanned out a bit as the colors gently swirled together.

“I feel like a princess!” Aqua giggled as she flapped her flippers.

 _“That’s because you are a princess.”_ Yuki teased.

“Oh stop it! I am not!” Aqua denied as she tried to hide her face in the long sleeves of her kimono.

Yuki was about to comment but was cut off by a loud

**PLUNK!**   
****

Something had fallen into the water.


	7. Chapter 7

“What was that?” Aqua rushed to her window and peered outside.

Outside her window was Scrap slowly descending into her backyard.

“Great Barrier Reef! There’s a snowman drowning in my backyard!” Aqua cried out as she rushed out of her bedroom.

 _“Stop! Don’t trust that snowman!”_ Yuki warned but it was too late, Aqua had already bolted out the backdoor to help Scrap.

Scrap awoke to the sound of Aqua screaming.

“Please wake up! Please be ok!” Aqua pleaded as she desperately tried to shake Scrap awake.

“Just five more minutes...” Scrap murmured as he sleepily shooed Aqua’s flippers away.

“Wake up!” Aqua commanded as she shook Scrap harder.

“Alright! I’m up! I’m up!” Scrap yelped as he sat up. 

“Oh thank Neptune you’re alright.” Aqua let out a sigh of relief.

“Yeah. Yeah. I’m fine. Geez. Stupid penguin.” Scrap grumbled as he coughed up the excess seawater in his system.

“You’re welcome. Now I’ve gotta get home. Try to be more careful next time, ok?” Aqua scolded.

Aqua’s kimono lifted up a bit as she dove back into the water, revealing her new sparkly purple tail color.

“That’s right penguin! You better ru- Wait! What the frost?!” Scrap yelped mid-sentence and rubbed his eyes.

He couldn’t believe what he was seeing!The penguin that saved him had a fish tail! Was this he dreaming?! He had to be dreaming! Penguins don’t have fish tails right?

Scrap seemed convinced he was dreaming until he noticed something sparkling in the snow. 

Scrap swiped the object off the floor and gasped. 

He was holding a sparkly purple fish scale!

Scrap pinched himself and let out a loud yelp.In that moment Scrap realized he _definitely_ wasn’t dreaming.

All Scrap could do was gawk at the purple scale in his wooden hand.He couldn’t believe he was rescued by a some sort of Merpenguin creature! He had to tell Sly and Tank! No! Scrap knew he had to tell someone more important about his discovery first.

_He had to tell Tusk._


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for being gone for so long and returning with such a short chapter! Don’t worry! I have some longer chapters prepared. Hopefully they will make up for my absence and this short chapter! Thank you all so much for your patience!

Meanwhile, at the Dojo, Sensei had fallen asleep. A cold breeze enveloped the Dojo as Sensei was plunged into a nightmare.

_A wounded ninja stumbled into the Dojo. A furious blizzard whistled behind her as she bowed before Sensei._

_“Sensei! Sensei! Please help me! He’s after me! I don’t know how much time I have left-”The ninja pleaded but was cut off by Tusk’s sinister growl._

_“So this is where you have been hiding, traitor!” Tusk bellowed as the blizzard burst down the doors._

_The ninja screamed and tried to run away but Tusk caught her by her neck and ripped her off the ground._

_“I have been searching for you for countless moons and **this** is what I find?! You training with my sworn enemy?!” Tusk roared as he dangled the poor ninja in front of his face._

_“Release her, Tusk! She has done nothing wrong!” Sensei ordered as he jumped up from his cushion._

_“You stay out of this! She’s **mine,** Sensei! She belongs to **me!** ” Tusk thundered as he whipped around to face Sensei._

_“You are wrong, Tusk! The only one she belongs to is herself! Release her at once! I will not ask you again!” Sensei commanded as he prepared to attack Tusk._

_Tusk growled as turned back to face the terrified ninja wriggling in his grip._

_“You belong to **me** and only **me.** Do you understand?!” Tusk growled into her nonexistent ears as he grabbed her face._

_Before the poor ninja could respond, Sensei fired an attack!_

**_FWOOSH!_ **

_An icy blast smashed into Tusk! Tusk let out a pained grunt and dropped the terrified ninja. The ninja landed gracefully and rushed to Sensei’s side._

_Seeing the ninja rush to Sensei’s side tipped Tusk over the edge._

_Letting out an enraged roar, Tusk slammed his hands into the ground then slowly raised them to the ceiling._

**_CRASH!_ **

_The blizzard outside intensified and smashed through the Dojo!_

_Snow flooded the Dojo as Tusk captured the ninja and threw her over his shoulder._

_“Help me please! Sensei! Sensei!” The poor ninja wailed as she banged on Tusk’s back._

_Sensei tried to run after Tusk but was pushed back by the relentless blizzard._

**WOOSH!**

The cold breeze from earlier washed over Sensei, freeing him from his nightmare.

Letting out a yelp, Sensei jolted up from his cushion.

“It has been years since I’ve had that dream.” Sensei gasped as he held his head.

“Something is _very_ wrong...” Sensei concluded as he stared out into the distance.


	9. Chapter 9

  _“What were you thinking?! You could’ve put yourself in danger by saving that snowman!”_ Yuki shrieked as Aqua swam back home.

 “I couldn’t just let him die in my backyard, Yuki! Besides it’s not like he works for Tusk or anything. I’ve seen what Tusk’s minions look like in the EPF’s files.Yes, they’re snowmen but they wear masks, black belts, and even polo shirts. The snowman I saved was wearing none of those things. I know it was dumb move to expose myself and I’m sorry.” Aqua explained as she swam back to her room.

 _“How can you be so sure that he doesn’t work for Tusk? How do you know Tusk didn’t send that snowman down here to lure you into a trap?!_ ” Yuki chided.

 “Well- You see- I- I...I guess I see your point.” Aqua admitted as she plopped down onto her bed.

  _“I know you were just trying to help but unfortunately you can’t always be the hero. Right now both of our lives are on the line. You can’t take anymore risks like that! Otherwise you’ll be the one who’ll need saving.”_ Yuki scolded Aqua as if she were a reckless child.

 Aqua hung her head low and buried her face into the long sleeves of her kimono.

 _"Aqua, I’m not mad at you. I just want to keep us both safe. If Tusk finds you it could endanger merpenguins everywhere! You can’t return to the surface until something is done to undo his wish.Do you understand?”_ Yuki demanded.

 “I understand, Yuki.” Aqua replied through her kimono sleeves.

  _“Good. I’m glad we’re on the same page.”_ Yuki mused.

 “What are we gonna do now?” Aqua pouted as she took her face out of her kimono sleeves.

  _“Now I’m going to show you how to defend yourself in case Tusk comes for you.”_ Yuki declared.

 “What? I already know how to defend myself. I’m one of the EPF’S top agents!” Aqua boasted.

  _“You might be a great secret agent but it will take a lot more than that to take on Tusk. Tusk isn’t called the ‘master of snow’ for nothing. It’s time you learned the sacred art of Card-Jitsu.”_ Yuki explained.

 “Card-Jitsu? You mean that ninja card game thing?” Aqua inquired as she raised a brow.

 _“Card-Jitsu is far more than just a ‘ninja card game thing’. Card-Jitsu is a scared art that’s been practiced for centuries. You’ll need to master it if you even want to think of fighting off Tusk.”_ Yuki urged.

 “Ok then I guess...” Aqua murmured as she sat up straighter.

  _“Now we can’t begin practicing Card-Jitsu without cards. Now I can teach you how to make your own cards-”_ Yuki began but was cut off by Aqua rummaging through her desk drawer.

 “Don’t worry, Yuki. I actually have a Card-Jitsu starter pack right here!” Aqua announced as she pulled out the deck from her desk drawer.

  _“How long have you had that deck?!”_ Yuki demanded.

 “Since last Christmas. Rookie got them for me as a gift but I’ve been too busy to use them.” Aqua explained sheepishly.

 _“I see. Well you have all the time in the world now. So let’s begin your training!”_ Yuki declared.


	10. Chapter 10

Meanwhile deep within the mountainside, Tusk was practicing Card-Jitsu Snow.

 Tusk let out a roar as he slammed his hands into the ground. The lair rumbled as Tusk shakily raised his arms up into the air. Suddenly, snowballs fired down from above, smashing holes into the ground.

 “Not strong enough. I need more power!” Tusk bellowed as he glared at his fists.

 “Master! Hey Master! Hey Master, Tusk!” Scrap sang as he rushed into the lair.

 “This better be important.” Tusk grunted as he shot Scrap a glare.

 “So me, Sly, and Tank were training on top of this waterfall right?Then Tank pushed me off! So I fell off the waterfall and-” Scrap rambled before being cut off by Tusk.

 “Get to the point.” Tusk snarled slowly as he leaned into Scrap’s face.

 “L-Long story short I was saved by some kinda penguin fish thing! I-I even have a scale to prove it, see?!” Scrap bumbled as he held up the purple scale.

 Tusk’s eyes widened in shock for a moment as he gawked at the scale. His shock soon morphed into rage as he glared daggers at Scrap.Tusk’s stare practically pierced through Scrap’s soul as he snatched the scale out of Scrap’s wooden hand.

 “Is this some kind of _joke?!_ ” Tusk bellowed as he waved the scale in Scrap’s face.

 “N-No Master! I’m dead serious here! I’m telling ya! A penguin fish thing saved my life! I mean, she looked like a normal penguin in a kimono at first but when she jumped back into the water she had a fish tail!” Scrap blubbered. He squeezed his eyes shut as he braced himself for Tusk’s wrath.

 Tusk’s wrath didn’t come. Instead, Tusk simply grunted and turned away from Scrap.

 “Bring her to me.” Tusk ordered.

 “W-What?” Scrap stammered as he opened his eyes

 “If this penguin fish creature of yours truly exists then you must prove it. A pitiful scale is _not_ enough!  Bring her to me at once!” Tusk commanded as he whipped around to face Scrap.

 “Y-Yes M-Master Tusk!” Scrap spluttered as he zipped out of the lair.

 The moment Scrap left Tusk turned to the scale. A crooked grin spread across his face as he glared at it.

“So you’re still alive...After all these years.” Tusk let out a pained chuckle as he slowly clenched his fist around the scale. 


End file.
